According to its website, RAND (a contraction of the term research and development) is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis in child policy, civil and criminal justice, community and U.S. regional studies, drug policy, education, health, infrastructure, international policy, methodology, national security, population and aging, science and technology, and terrorism. (http://www.rand.org/about/; accessed 8/11/03)